Ralf brings joy
We lost Victoria Lynne (a.k.a. Tory), our Golden Retriever, suddenly in the Spring of 2004. Within a few month I knew I needed a dog. I didn’t want a Golden. Tory would be my one and only Golden dog.
What I wanted was a small, as in lap, dog. I wanted a female with a soft coat, black or chocolate brown preferred. I wanted a dog that I could brush occasionally but wouldn’t require a groomer’s attention more than twice a year. A sweet loving little girl who had kisses for everyone and especially me.
Our vet called one morning to say he thought he had found the perfect dog for me. We were out the door in a flash. Doc Mike knew me and what I wanted. I trusted his opinion.
As we waited his office, his assistant brought in a little bundle wrapped in a big rose colored towel. She handed it to me. The poor thing was so scared it vibrated as I cuddle it close. It looked up at me with the biggest roundest brownest eyes you can imagine. I was hooked.
That little bundle was Ralf, 10 pounds of attitude. He didn’t like much of anyone. His coat is angora soft but white and grows like a weed. We must see a groomer every six to eight weeks. He’ll let me run a comb through his fur only when we are in a moving car. And he is all male. He thinks he’s a Rottweiler with short legs and is very protective of all he thinks of as his.
Ralf’s a rescued dog from an abusive environment. It took awhile for him to feel secure with us. He still reacts defensively toward some humans and all dogs. He’ll bark at anything from cats on the neighbor’s roof to trucks up on Rt. 80 – drives us crazy. Strangers and high winds turn him into a vibrating ball fur hidding in the darkest corner he can find. He has to pee on every vertical object between here and there. And he begs for food, tummy rubs, and just about everything, even if he doesn’t really want it.
Ralf is the joy in my life. No one or thing can make Fred or I laugh like Ralf can. He may not be all hugs and kisses but Ralf is a great cuddler. He is almost as stubborn as my Fred and nearly as loving. No, Ralf isn’t anything like what I thought I wanted but he is everything I need. My thanks again to Dr. Mike.
